2 Types of Sea Lions in Washington

2 types of sea lions have a verified observation record in Washington. The most frequently recorded are California Sea Lion and Steller Sea Lion. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.

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2 types of sea lions have a verified observation record in Washington. The most frequently recorded are California Sea Lion and Steller Sea Lion. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.

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Verified species, source iNaturalist

2 types of sea lions recorded in Washington

2 sea lions species have a verified observation record in Washington, each with at least 10 confirmed sightings. The full list, ranked by how often each is recorded, is below.

#SpeciesScientific nameVerified records
1California Sea LionZalophus californianus1,398
2Steller Sea LionEumetopias jubatus1,050

Plus 2 more recorded only rarely (fewer than 10 verified sightings). Counts from verified iNaturalist observations.

The California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) is the most commonly recorded, with 1,398 verified observations — about 57% of all sea lions reported in Washington. If you spot a sea lion here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.